Finland, Finnair, and credit cards - pre 2020 discussion
#61
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,785
#62
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: HEL
Programs: AYPlat, BASilver, SQG
Posts: 456
I'm about to cancel Amex, will keep thru summer as I have some bookings made before the change and therefore old insurance terms valid....
With new bookings, the Amex insurance is worthless (=with my travel patterns never valid), only perk for me is Priority Pass and BAEC Avios transfers.... So maybe a little hesitation about canceling.
Nordea MasterCard Gold gives you almost as good insurance as Amex used to and that card does not cost a penny (if Nordea client, maybe need to be the so called "avainasiakas"). Nothing needs to be paid with the card for the insurance to be valid.
With new bookings, the Amex insurance is worthless (=with my travel patterns never valid), only perk for me is Priority Pass and BAEC Avios transfers.... So maybe a little hesitation about canceling.
Nordea MasterCard Gold gives you almost as good insurance as Amex used to and that card does not cost a penny (if Nordea client, maybe need to be the so called "avainasiakas"). Nothing needs to be paid with the card for the insurance to be valid.
#63
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
It depemds on ones needs but diners gives 2-3 ay- points per euro spent entry into some lounges etc I find that a good value but petsonally i credit most points to SK as they also offer better value then AY
#64
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,785
That's true, but I wouldn't compare Diners and Amex Plt as I feel they're different products. Amex offers interesting programmes in travel (FHR, comp'd SPG, Hilton, Carlson, PP) that I have not come across elsewhere. And they have the restaurant programme which I have had success with especially abroad, lesser and lesser in Finland though.
#65
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
That's true, but I wouldn't compare Diners and Amex Plt as I feel they're different products. Amex offers interesting programmes in travel (FHR, comp'd SPG, Hilton, Carlson, PP) that I have not come across elsewhere. And they have the restaurant programme which I have had success with especially abroad, lesser and lesser in Finland though.
just my two cents
#66
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
That's true, but I wouldn't compare Diners and Amex Plt as I feel they're different products. Amex offers interesting programmes in travel (FHR, comp'd SPG, Hilton, Carlson, PP) that I have not come across elsewhere. And they have the restaurant programme which I have had success with especially abroad, lesser and lesser in Finland though.
#67
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,785
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,105
HH - they had (?) a campaign for certain Visa holders for comp Gold. For a long time it was enough to feed the first 4 digits of an eligible card
Marriott gives 90 day Gold/Plat challenges - if you have some upcoming stays it's worth to aski it, even though you will not (re)qualify
Sofitel gives Plat to all comers, so does Best Western
(View from the Wing has details, I got some of these from there)
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,105
In general you are right. But on the Diners front, AY wins - I value 2-2,5 AY points/€ spent higher then 1 EB points/€
#70
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: HEL
Programs: HH Gold, SPG Gold, BW Plt, AY, M&M, FB G, CX Gold, AX Plat, CC gold, Le Club plt, Scandic 2nd floor
Posts: 126
However, they are already increasing the Platinum fee in UK and I am just waiting their turn in Finland as well. If the fee will be increasing, then bye bye platinum...
#71
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), Bonvoy Gold, HH Diamond, PriorityPass, AX Plat
Posts: 526
I did not, as I found a nice way to get Marco Polo Gold card through Amex Platinum. Also some trips already booked before the insurance policy was changing.
However, they are already increasing the Platinum fee in UK and I am just waiting their turn in Finland as well. If the fee will be increasing, then bye bye platinum...
However, they are already increasing the Platinum fee in UK and I am just waiting their turn in Finland as well. If the fee will be increasing, then bye bye platinum...
#72
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: HEL
Programs: HH Gold, SPG Gold, BW Plt, AY, M&M, FB G, CX Gold, AX Plat, CC gold, Le Club plt, Scandic 2nd floor
Posts: 126
Some of my friends cancelled their cards. I instead changed my previous Platinum to a new Platinum where I pay €390:- per year - this is a co-branded Platinum card with a private club, all regular Platinum advantages/rules apply.
Saturne-79, did you get Marco Polo Gold through your Finnis Platinum or with UK Platinum? If Finnish then I'd be very interested in hearing how you did it?
Saturne-79, did you get Marco Polo Gold through your Finnis Platinum or with UK Platinum? If Finnish then I'd be very interested in hearing how you did it?
Who has co-branded platinum in Finland? How to apply it?
I did it through UK platinum website. I asked about that from Finland as well, but they where unaware of this or any other promotions...
#73
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), Bonvoy Gold, HH Diamond, PriorityPass, AX Plat
Posts: 526
And naturally Finnish Amex has many less promotions that the US, UK etc...
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,105
#75
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 173
I don't want to create a new topic so I bring up this one
I had my usual yearly chat with AMEX CS yesterday about waiving the yearly fee for my Amex Gold - they said that since spring 2011 they have a new policy to (automatically?) waive the fee for the main card if the yearly spending is over 15k€ but are not allowed to waive the fee for the companion card. After some more discussion she agreed to waive it as well "this one time". ^
This is a welcome change, no need to remember to call them every year
I had my usual yearly chat with AMEX CS yesterday about waiving the yearly fee for my Amex Gold - they said that since spring 2011 they have a new policy to (automatically?) waive the fee for the main card if the yearly spending is over 15k€ but are not allowed to waive the fee for the companion card. After some more discussion she agreed to waive it as well "this one time". ^
This is a welcome change, no need to remember to call them every year
Or actually she said first that they've never waived fees except for some old cards that had been issued with this kind of terms, and even that had ended at least a year ago; when I pointed out that they have waived fees more recently than a year and for normal cards without any special terms, she told about the head office orders which I think she said have been in effect since [this year's?] spring.
I can't say if there really is a new unbreakable head office rule that forces them to rather lose a customer than waive the fee (although it was a bit odd that she didn't give this reason until later during the call), but have any FTers over here had recent experiences about a change in the rules?
I told her I'll have to think whether I want to keep the card after this (which is the truth - with all other cards I have, I'm not sure if Amex is worth keeping if I have to pay for it).